THE RENT PLAY to Open at Cal State LA's Luckman Theatre

The Department of Theatre and Dance at Cal State LA will present The Rent Play by Jan Rosenberg, October 15-24, 2026, at the Intimate Theatre at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, directed by third-year MFA candidate Donald Rizzo.

The year is 2007. The war in Iraq is booming. Steve Jobs is about to release the first ever iPhone. More importantly, RENT is one year away from closing its doors on Broadway. And life for a group of RENTheads is about to change forever. This play is a love letter, an apology, a memory, a diary entry.

Performances will be held at the Intimate Theatre of the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of Cal State LA. 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (Parking Lot C).

The ensemble cast features: Anika Felix as TANYA; Julian Moser as DEREK; Morgan Rountree as HOLLY; Aryana West as DAPHNE; DeAundre Smith as MARCUS; Ethan Brown as JARED; Mia Zell as KATRINA; Giselle Diaz as ZOE; and Azul Diaz as NELL.

Production and design team include: Director: Donald Rizzo; Scenic Designer: Gretchen Ugalde; Lighting Designer: Diana Herrera; Costume Designer: Jessica Champagne Hansen; Sound Designer: Jane McKeever; Stage Manager: Madison Wong; Assistant Stage Manager: Aki Yamamoto; Intimacy Director: Rica Anonas; Props Coordinator: Alex Esparza; Props Coordinator: Ngan Ho-Lemoine; Student ME: Bethany Tasi; Student Assistant Technical Director: Andrea Taylor; Assistant Lighting Design: Lluvia Villalpando; Light Board Operator: Jonathan Sandoval; Sound Board Operator: Xavier Signater; Running Crew: Jasmine Morales, Diamond Jennings & Evieny Isidro.

Show dates are Thursday, October 15 - Saturday, October 17, at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, October 18, at 2:30 p.m., and Wednesday, October 21 - Saturday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for $8 for students and $12 general. admission:

https://ci.ovationtix.com/34675/production/1283581?utm_source=ProAPIIntegration

Set in 2007-2008-just before smartphones and social media transformed our world, The Rent Play is a coming-of-age story that unfolds primarily outside Broadway's Nederlander Theatre during RENT's final years. It follows a tight-knit group of "RENT-heads" who gather day after day to enter for their chance at winning $20 lottery tickets. While hanging outside the stage door, they ultimately find friendship, purpose, and build their own community over their shared love for the musical.